The Queen Elizabeth Theatre

This theatre has an aesthetically pleasing interior and comfortable seats. I have enjoyed any show, whether it’s a concert or musical, here.
The downside is that the theater is not consistent in its protocol. They allow drinks to seats on certain shows and ixnay such behavior on other shows. Perhaps at a concert you can bring a beer to your seat, but at a musical you cannot do so. However, they offer drink sales during the 15 minute break. Some people received their drinks less than 5 minutes before the show resumed (since the line was so long). These ppl had to guzzle their drinks in a couple of minutes before re-​entering the theater. I think they should not sell drinks at break if they don’t allow them inside, or they should definitely notify people of their policies, so they make more pleasurable decisions about their purchases.
We were disappointed that we had to quickly gulp down or not finish our pricey drink purchases.
Queen E, please be more forthright about your policies, or modify them/​make them more consistent.

I have also been to the Queen E. for Scott Thompson (Buddy), Rent, Gary Newman (yes, I’m that old) and many others that defy description. I can say with honesty, I wonder how they keep everything so crystal clear and management/​staff must have a bond that allows this to happen. I just love live shows in general; beats a movie any day hands down. You always know there is a tremendous amount of work here to make those venues possible.

Such a great place to see concerts or plays. Convenient parking, also easy to sky train to. The staff are always nice and friendly. This last event I went to had lots of security which I thought was great, I don’t mind the pat down when it contributes to everyone’s safety. Lots of bathrooms, screens outside to see when the opening act is done so you can finish you drink before the headliner.

Been here many times. Watched the Wicked here. I like he place because it’s clean and fully staffed. Not sure about the food. Ticket pricing depends where you sit. Mostly they have musical and plays here. The seats are not bad and are comfy in a way.
I give this place a thumb up.

Clean venue, nice concession, attentive ushers, even the upper balcony had a good view for Seinfeld on Friday.

This theatre is stunning with the red velvet seats, curtain and chandeliers. The acoustics are fabulous. I’ve sat in the very last row on the bottom and up in the top and can hear perfectly.
I’ve been here for concerts and events and haven’t been disappointed yet.
The ushers are professional and really great. For a Sarah McLachlan performance, my date and I had tickets that weren’t together. We talked to an usher, and she gave us seats that had been reserved for a party that didn’t show up so we could sit together. Woo hoo!
The seats are small and the armrests don’t move, which is a big thumbs down. When you want to be close to your date and the armrest is stabbing you in the side, that kills the romance.

I love going to this venue for those higher production value theatrical events that just need that space and technology to really make the play come to life. I’ve been lucky enough to have had a chance to come here countless times to see plays such as Les Miserable, Wicked, and Lion King. The sound quality and lighting in this venue is excellent and the inside of the theatre itself is just beautiful.
While I do prefer the central main seating area, there really isn’t a bad seat in the house because of how they’ve designed the building.
Also, it is important to note that there is underground parking and for a pretty decent rate. Otherwise, this place is really close to the Skytrain.
Next time you go, arrive a bit early and just sit in the theatre and gaze up at the «stars» above.

Attended my god-​daughters grad with family including my 5 week old son. He started getting fussy so I sat outside in the mezz lobby to try and calm him down. The 3 ushers that I encountered were the sweetest ladies ever! They showed me this private «crying» room where I could sit with him and not miss seeing the graduation ceremony. I’ve never been more impressed with customer service care level!

Great venue for plays & musicals. Best in Vancouver actually, though that’s maybe not saying much. Been here many times for theatre performances, most recently for Book of Mormon. Interior and multi-​level lobby have a lovely look and texture, suitable for nice dates.
Acoustics are very good. Sightlines from the mezzanine surprisingly decent. Orchestra wings Left and Right however can feel unexpectedly subpar relative to pricing. Balcony seating has solid sightlines but distance can be a factor for those who do not have ²⁰⁄₂₀ or better vision — a downside people expect from cheaper tickets, but good to keep in mind.
Pro tip: Go at least 15 min early for your show to beat the worst of the door rush. The entry «gates» are primitive, basically just ushers armed with hand scanners, and pretty much never any real lines to speak of, just throngs of line-​ish patrons gradually pushing forward. A shockingly inefficient way to board a theatre.

I’m a big fan of the arts, I’ve seen musicals and ballets here.
I believe there has been some recent renovation. The main lobby area is nice but I think its on the small side, compared to other concert halls I’ve been to. I love the art thats located around the building and the funky chandelier. All levels have a concession stand. The acoustics in the concert hall is pretty good. I’ve sat in the orchestra, mezzanine, and balcony level and all are good you get what you pay for. If you’re planning to drive the have a parking lot located at the side about $ 12 or take the skytrain.

A great theatre space with excellent people watching spots.
I’ve been here countless times for ballets, plays, operas… you name it. The location is handily close to Stadium skytrain, which makes it easy if you decide to wear heels!
The lobby area is large and multi level, with a mezzanine balcony overlooking the main space, and leading out to an outdoor balcony (especially fun in the winter when the Christmas market is on!). The mezzanine is my favourite spot as it gives the best vantage point to people watch! So many people, and so many fancy clothes to ogle. A lovely pair of ladies once told me I looked like Mata Hari standing on the balcony… to this day probably still the nicest thing I’ve ever heard!
The theatre itself is great — I’ve sat in the «bad» seats on the orchestra level and they still provide an almost perfect view. The seats are comfortable, and the space between each row is wide enough that it’s not too awkward to cross and uncross your legs.
The bar is, of course, quite expensive with a mediocre selection, but it’s not the worst I’ve ever seen. The pre-​ordering option really helps — it’s so nice to swan by the line-​up and grab your nicely chilled and labelled drink.
The bathroom situation if you’re a woman is, naturally, dire. But they have tried to combat it by having semi-​open bathrooms on the bottom floor with access from both sides of the lobby, so the line isn’t too crazy most of the time. They’re always clean and have soap and hand towels, which is no mean feat!
Definitely a quality theatre with many fond memories attached to it! I’ll be back many, many times, I have no doubt.

I’m quite floored that, as I write this, I am sitting on the FLOOR in the lobby because there is no seating… It’s 7:15pm with an 8pm show and they’re not opening the theatre doors until «I don’t know when», I’ve just been told.
Sitting on icky carpet because I have a physical job standing on my feet all day and can’t be standing 12+ hours. Lobby also smells terrible like a stuffy airplane with strong coffee.
Thanks Q E! Invest in some chairs and air fresheners!
[Spent 25 minutes sitting on the floor. Awesome. At least the seats are comfortable inside the theatre.]

What: New Order
When: July 8, 2014
Where: QE theater
Status: Sold out
Rating: 3 out of 5
I had high hopes for New Order, especially considering that they’re one of my all time favorite bands. I saw them at Coachella 2013 which was one of the highlights of that weekend. I wanted to re-​live those moments locally even if it meant hearing all my favorite New Order hits an octave lower.
Before re-​living my moments I listened to the openers Run Run Run whose music pays homage to the 80’s/90’s UK shoe gazer rock, a perfect opener for New Order.
After their set a DJ blared some outdated beats. The music was so loud that it made it extremely difficult to socialize with friends in the lobby. What was this? The Haçienda? I felt as though I was re-​living the bad moments of the EDM tents at Coachella.
Some bands sound great on CD, however, fall short on the live performance delivery. Part of the problem tonight was that the sound mix was just terrible. Bass was over mixed, synths (which is the backbone of their material) was extremely under mixed and the vocals were both under mixed and muffled. I couldn’t hear any dimension or layers between the instruments. It’s no wonder Vancouver had trouble getting into the show. How can you be excited about songs you can’t hear as intended? A lot of my favorite hits sounded butchered. It wasn’t until the end during the last 3 songs that people were dancing and really getting into it. The GA pit for most of the show was at a stand still which was disappointing considering that many of whom waited almost 25 years for New Order to play Vancouver.
New Order were toe gazers on stage, a complete 180 from the music they released to the world. Bernard seemed as though he wanted to be anywhere but on stage. Chemistry has always been tense between each other. There was barely any smiles or eye contact between band members. Bernard didn’t even look at the guitarist when queuing key changes.
Bernard’s voice isn’t in the greatest shape. The songs, even though an octave lower, was still out of key.
They played the obvious hits, one new song titled Plastic (which is actually really good and received positive reception) and a few rare exclusive gems. Of course the set finished with 3 Joy Division songs. Even though the songs were performed an octave lower it still wasn’t low enough for the JD covers, therefore, certain covers had a shameful pop make over to compensate. This came across as cheap rather than with substance. Even the JD fans seemed unimpressed. New Order are a great band, therefore, they don’t need to lean on the crutches of their history.
The QE staff were being militant with their anti dancing policy. Not being able to dance at New Order ruined people’s enjoyment. I have issues with authority so I got a bit lippy with security. The security guard told me to go back to my seat (I was spilling 2″ into the isle) and I just yelled in her ear, «The song is almost over, leave me alone.» I then gave her the hand gesture as though to tell her to please get the fuck out of my face.
Surprisingly the audience wasn’t littered with Joy Division shirts, however, if you forgot yours at home they were selling the iconic shirt for $ 40. As for the New Order shirts, they were ugly. I’ve always wanted a New Order shirt and was severely heart broken that I wasn’t able to wear my badge of music cred post show.
The audience had some 40 something one hit wonder fans, however, it was mostly a music geek crowd. There was actually a healthy number of hipster kids under 17 that shamefully knew every song better than the adults. The kid beside me was so excited over the JD covers that I thought that he was going to pass out.
In spite of the bad sound mix and militant staff the show was actually memorable for different reasons unintended. It’s nothing compared to Coachella but 1 out of 2 ain’t bad for a band I may never see again.

Me and the love came here to see Carmen 2 weeks ago. The opera was amazing and so were the acoustics in the Queen Elizabeth theatre. We were sitting fairly far away but the sound was just so damn clear. I think they got a lil bathroom situation tho. I mean when you’re at a show there you might have short breaks and the line up for the washroom was instantly a gabillion people. It’s such a gigantic place and so little and small washrooms.
I like the no tipping policy at the theatre as the prices for drinks are obviously a lot to handle.

The Queen Elizabeth Theatre is one of largest proscenium theatres in downtown Vancouver. Recently refurbished, the theatre hosts opera, Broadway, music, presentations, and a broad spectrum of entertainment shows.
Parking is available at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre parkade, beneath the theatre itself. The entrance is off of Cambie Street between West Georgia and Dunsmuir Streets.
My friend and I came here to see Wicked, the show itself was fantastic! The theatre is a good, the seat and leg room is just fit. Of coz, not drink or eat inside.

Saw Wicked here on Sat, and it was awesome!
It’s one of my fav shows, so this was my 2^nd time seeing it. I also saw les Mis and nutcracker here, and enjoyed them as well.
Parking is easy, can park underneath or across the street. The theatre is a little small, so there isn’t a lot of leg room… Also can’t drink inside theatre :(
Overall, nice modern theatre. Wish it had some character, like some kewl older theatres!

I have been to live performing art around many cities; this is the worst chair I have ever been sitting in one: Queen Elizabeth theatre.
We went to WICKED BROADWAY; the show was excellent, with live orchestra and beautifully acting, we were sitting in row 6 of the Centre the theatre, after almost 2 hours it really giving me a very uncomfortable backache. I am not that tall comparing to most of others, the space between rows is very narrow, the back of these seat are very low, I would be able to enjoy the show in much greater time when the comfortable chair provided in the last hrs.

One of my favourite places to visit in Vancouver.
I have been lucky enough to attend two operas and two ballets there in the last year — and each time I enjoy the space even more.
The ticket prices are a little lofty, but I feel it’s in line with the level of talent that is on the stage. I would love to see more sophisticated refreshments on offer. That’s the only place where the Queen E falls flat!
Can’t wait to go back for Ballet BC next show!

We attended a performance of Alberta Ballet’s ‘The Nutcracker’ at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in late-​December 2013, and were totally «wowed» by the experience!
For us, going to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre for a musical event is always such a treat. And with seats located in the first row of the dress circle, we had unobstructed views of the stage, and the orchestra as well, thus, enhancing our total experience. So much to see and hear, I believe we were quite ‘spellbound’ from beginning to end!
The Nutcracker ballet was a delight — with fine sets, wonderful costumes, and lovely choreographies. And the Tchaikovsky score, in hands of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, and set within the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, with it’s fine acoustics, was simply glorious!
The venue of the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, and Alberta Ballet’s ‘The Nutcracker’ was a winning combination. We were so fortunate to have been able to enjoy this wonderful event of the holiday season.

There’s nothing better then being whisked away to the theatre for the evening!
I recently attended Ballet BC’s Fumbling Through Ecstasy. It had been over a year since I had been to QE and an exquisite reminder of why I should visit this spot more often.
I’ve dabbled in show production here and there, and the theatre proper is one big, beautiful pipe dream of mine. The sight lines, the lighting, the stage. the sound — what a beautifully flawless set up. Or as close to flawless as you’ll find here in Vancouver. Even with a 2500 person capacity, this theatre maintains a sort of intimacy and I like that it can support both performances large & small.
But my wide eyed wonderment and wishful thinking aside, where the stage catches high praise, the lobby/​lounge I find lacking. I understand the «no drinks inside» policy. I don’t like it, but I understand it. But that aside, I feel like this space is a missed opportunity. I for one am sick of seeing chocolate bars and chip bags as the only form of snackables, when i’ve shelled out moolah for a nice show. And a scotch list? I understand that this is in the highest column of first world problems, but gosh, I wish they had a nice whiskey to sip on at intermission.
Tickets here are pricey, it’s true. But if you do some research, there’s some decently priced options for the ballet and such throughout the year — some coming in at a reasonable $ 30 a pop. That’s a movie & a popcorn alternative worth taking.
Too often we forget the amazing live entertainment that lives under this roof — do yourself a favour and remember it.